Ore-separator.



Patented Oct. 2, |900.

J. B. MOORE.

ORE SEPARATOR.

(Application led Dec. 21. 1899.)

(No Modl.)

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' Patented Oct. 2, |900.

.1. B. MUORE.,

URE SEPARATQ'R.

(Application led Dec. 21, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. MOORE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE MOORE IMPROVED GOLD SEPARATOR COM- PANY, OF CALIFORNIA.

oRE-sEPARAToR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,921, dated October 2, 1900.

Application filed December 21, 1899. Serial No. 741.162. (No model.)

ments in Ore-Separatore.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the same.

The present invention is designed for use in connection with the working of beach sand or gravel mining; and it consists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and described in the specifications and pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine whereby I am enabled to separate the precious material from the waste or Worthless portion and to concentrate the precious material thus separated in order to obtain or recover the precious metal carried thereby.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawF ings, forming a portion of this application, wherein- Figure 1 is an end view in elevation of the machine viewed from its discharge end. Fig.

2 is a side View in elevation, the rotary separator being partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the concentrating-table, the rotary separator and its connected parts being removed; and Figa is a detail view of one of the riffle-plates.

In the drawings, the letterA is used to indicate any suitable frame for the machine, the side pieces A' A2 of which are arranged at a slight inclination. Between these side pieces is mounted to swing the concentratingtable B, said table being supported by means of shoulders a, projecting therefrom, working in guide-slots a' in the side pieces. To the under face of the concentrating-table, near its discharge end, are secured the rods B', which rods at their outer ends encircle theeccentric cams B2,mounted upon the crossshaft B3, Working in bearings of the side pieces. To one end of this cross-shaft is attached the pulley C, which receives motion from any suitable drive-motor through the to agitate the sand or material therein.

medium of drive-belt C', working thereover. 5o As the cross-shaft B3 is driven a longitudinally-reciprocating motion is imparted to the concentrating-table through the connectingrods B and eccentric cams B2.

Within the sides 2 of the concentrating- 55 table is trunnioned a series of rifie-platcs b. To the lower edge of each is attached a strip vof rubber or canvas 3, which when the plates 'stand in a vertical position bear firmly upon the face of the table. These cross-plates di- 6o vide the surface of the table into a series of rifles or pockets 4.

Outside of the side pieces A' A2are arranged the slide-bars D D', which are attached to the frame-pieces at each end by the crank- 65 levers D2. These levers are fulcrumed to the side pieces, and the inner end of each terminates in toothed segment 5, which engages with a rack 6, attachedto the sides of the table. Being thus connected the longi- 7o tudinal motion of the table is imparted to the slide-bars.

Between the riffle-plates b Work the crossrods r7, each being provided with a series of` depending fingers 8. These fingers workwit-hin the rifles or pockets 4 of the table and serve The end of one rod is held in bearing 9 of side piece A' and its opposite end turned or flanged downward and fitted within socket b of slide-bar 8o D, while the next rod will have one end held in bearing l0 of side piece A? and its opposite flanged end resting in socket b2 of slide-bar D. The rods are thus alternately connected to side piece A and slide-rod D and side piece A2 and slide-rod D. As thus connected the rods 7 move crosswise of the table during the reciprocating motion thereof. The iingers 8 work close to the rifIie-plates b and slightly above the surface of the tables. The 9o riffle`plates are held locked in position by means of a turn-button d, which serves to prevent the plates being displaced during the working of the machine.

At the discharge end of the machine, below the concentrating-table, is arranged the water-trough E, within which rotates the drum E'. Around the vface of this drum the concaved amalgam-plates E2 are secured, upon which plates the material discharged from the concentrating-table falls.

The object of the amalgamating-dru m is to intercept any of the iioat-gold which might pass from off the concentrating-table during the aggregation of the pulp thereon bythe iinger-bars. Unless this amalgamating-drum be provided the said fioat-gold would be lost by reason of the violent agitation of the pulp upon the concentrating-table, as the same would be carried olf by the water tiowing thereover. The axle d of the drum E works in bearings of the frame A, and to one end of said axle is secured the sprocket-Wheel E3.

Above the concentrating-table is suspended the rotary separator F, which is attached to the longitudinal shaft F by arms F2. This shaft F' works in bearings of the cross-pieces G of uprights A and is driven by means of pinion f, meshing with bevel-gearf, attached to one end of the said shaft. Pinionf is secured to cross-shaft G, Working in bearingbrackets attached to forward uprights.

The drum E' is driven from the cross-shaft through the medium of sprocket-chain G2, working over sprocket-Wheel E3 on axle d and sprocket-gear G3, secured to one end of shaft GC To the opposite end of this shaft is fastened sprocket-wheel I-I, and said shaft has motion imparted thereto from the driveshaft B3 by means of sprocket-chain H, working over wheel H and sprocket H2, mounted upon drive-shaft B3.

To the feed end of the rotary separator is attached the imperforate inclined collar l, which receives the material to be treated from feed hopper or box I. The object of this inclined collar is to hold the Water Within the rotary separator at a given level, for, as the separator is arranged at a slight rearward incline, without the employment of this collar the material fed intovthe separator would at once flow therefrom at its feed end. This collar acts as a retaining-wall to hold the material ,in the separator and maintain therein a proper amount ot' water. Of course this Will be regulated by the pitch at which the separator is suspended and the inclination of the collar. Vithin the interior of the separator there is secured a series of projecting lingers g, which fingers are arranged spirally from the collar l to near the discharge end of the separator, or to point 0c. These lingers, owing to their arrangement, serve as a Worm to gradually feed the material toward the discharge end of the separator during the rotation thereof. From point to discharge end of separator is arranged the spiral converging blade or Worm l2, which acts to convey the material from Within the separator onto the inclined screen J, secured to the discharge end of the separator. The fingers g are mainly employed to break up and disintegrate the material fed into the separator, although, owing to their spiral arrangement, they gradually force the material forward, while the worm I2 answers to retard the travel of the material and to discharge the disintegrated material from within the separator. As delivered to the screen portion J of the separator the line sand, dirt, and precious material passes through the mesh of the screen and falls into chute J' and is delivered to the upper end of the concentratingtable, upon the surface of which the final separat ion takes place as the material is gradually worked toward the discharge end thereof by the reciprocating motion imparted thereto by the described mechanism. The sand is kept agitated within the riffles or pockets of the table and prevented from settling and banking therein by the action of the stirrers or agitating-tingers 8, which work crosswise therein by the lateral motion of the rods 7 Whatever fine gol-d escapes from the table will be caught upon the amalgamatingplates carried by the rotating drum E.

The stones, gravel, and coarser material delivered from the separator fall into discharge-chute K and are conveyed to a suitable place of deposit.

Water is supplied to the feed end of the rotary separator bypipe K', leading from coupling Z of stand-pipe K2. This stand-pipe connects with force-pump L, which pump is operated from drive shaft B2 by means of sprocket-4 chain Ll, working over sprocket- Wheel L2, secured upon the drive-shaft, and sprocket-wheel L3, secured to pump-shaft l'. Tocoutpl-ing Z is connected the branch pipe M, which conveys water into the discharge end of the rotary separator in order to spray the material delivered .upon the screen J, so as to thoroughly wash and separate the material while at the same time aiding the tin-er portions to pass through the screen.

When it is desi-red :to make a clean-up, the cross-rods 7 kare removed and the rime-plates turned upward, so as to enable the operator to remove the precious metal from off the surface-oftheconcentrating-table. Thedrum E. with its amalgamating-plates E2, is removed from within the trough E and the plates freed of the amalgam gold. Contents of trough E may bedrawn off in any suitable manner, as vby opening outlet Z2.

Having thus described :my invention, what I claim `as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of a longitudinally-reciprocating concentrating-tableand a rotary imperforate cylinder having a tapering imperforate collar secured to its feed end, the axis of said cylinder being inclined Aupward from the feed toward the discharge, a tapering screen attached to its discharge end, a closely-set spiral line of fin gers or projections on the inner surface of the imperforate cylinder and a spiral converging blade mounted on the inner surface of the tapering screen, whereby the `desired depth of pulp is maintained and disintegrated Within the cylinder, the coarser material is lforced away from the IOO IIO

pulp and separately discharged and the finer material delivered to the surface of the concentrating-table. f

2. The combination of alongitudinally-reciprocating concentrating-table and a rotary imperforate cylinder having a tapering imperforate collar secured to its feed end, the axis of said cylinder being inclined upward from the feed toward the discharge end of the cylinder, a tapering screen attached to its discharge end, a spiral set of fingers or projections arranged within the imperforate cylinder, the cylinder being arranged at an inclination, an inclined collar secured to the feed end of said cylinder, of means for supplying water to the interior of the said cylinder, and a chute leading from the discharge end of the cylinder to the concentrating-table, said chute conveying the separated material from the cylinder to the table.

In a machine of the described character, the combination with a rot-ary separator into which the material to be treated is fed, a longitudinally-reciprocatin g concentrating-table arranged below the separator, a chute leading from the discharge end of the separator to the upper end of the concentrating-table, a series of rifile-plates movably connected to the table and dividing its surface into riffles or pockets, a series of 1in ger-bars arranged crosswse of the table and working in said pock-v ets, and means for imparting lateral motion to the finger-bars during the longitudinal movement of the concentrating-table.

4. The combination of a rotary separator which eliminates the coarse impurities, a chute or runway leading the finer pulp from the discharge end of the separator, a concentrating-table receiving the fine pulp from said chute, a series of transversely-moving agitators working across the upper surface of the concentrator and maintaining the suspension of the finer material while permitting the grain-gold to settle, a trough arranged below the concentrating-table, a drum working therein and a series of amalgamatingplates secured to the drum and operating to intercept the oat-gold escaping from the concentrating-table.

5. The combination with a concentratingtable, of means for im partinga longitudinallyreciprocating motion thereto, aseries of transverse rife-plates mounted to swing within the sides of the table, a laterally-movable rod arranged in advance of each ri'e-plate, each rod carrying a series of depending fingers and of means for imparting movement to the finger-carrying rods during the longitudinal movement of the table.

6. The combination with the rotary separator eliminating the coarse material, of the longitudinallyreciprocating concentrating- Vtable arranged below the separator, a chute leading from the discharge end of the separator to the upper end of t-he concentratingtable and delivering the pulp thereto, of devices by means of which the material passing over the surface of the concentrating-table is agitated while permitting the grain-gold to settle, a trough arranged below the discharge end of the table, a drum working therein, and a series of amalgamating-plates secured to and carried by the drum for intercepting the iioat-gold.

7. The combination of a supporting-frame, a concentrating-table movably mounted thereon, means for reciprocating said table longitudinally, finger-bars movable transversely of the table and mechanism whereby longitudinal movement of the table causes transverse movement of alternate finger-bars in opposite directions, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN B. MOORE. Witnesses:

N. A. ACKER, F. H. NOWELL. 

